Brussels sprouts will be 25% bigger this year, thanks to silt and sea breezes

Sprouts are harvested in Lincolnshire. Nigel Slater has a recipe to sex them up. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

In a development likely to inspire both joy and dismay around the Christmas dinner table, farmers are forecasting Brussels sprouts will be 25% bigger this year.

Good growing conditions, the introduction of new varieties, and a dose of sea air have resulted in a crop of super-sized sprouts for this festive season.